“You’re pushy, you know that?”
“People say that a lot,”
Saito replied with a cheerful smile. ho is sarcastically saying to him with his tired arm wobbling around
With that, Saito headed to the garden with Takumi.
“So, why are you doing this?”
Saito asked as he watered the plants in the designated area.
“It’s a hobby,”
“If it’s a hobby, why not do it at home? You don’t have to do it at school. Or is it like a secret base thing? You want a private space?”
“That’s not it. …But it’s fine. It’s just that it’s troublesome at home,”
“I see. Even the president has his reasons,”
The response he received was indifferent, as if it was a common answer.
Saito sensing that Takumi’s offhand answer wasn’t the whole truth.
However, Saito couldn’t ask further, as he could sense the rejection aura Takumi was emitting.
“By the way, the sports festival is coming up. What events are you participating in, President?”
Saito asked, changing the topic to avoid silence.
Saito asked him about the upcoming event [athletic festival] for all the grades.
“I’m in the inter-grade relay and the cavalry battle,”
As expected, Takumi, being a third-year student, was participating in different events than Saito was.
[Cavalry battle.]
A sweet sound that attracts every boy’s attention.
Saito has experienced it twice in his elementary and junior high school days, and the chaotic time when many students were fighting to get the Hachimaki remains vividly in his memory as a pleasant memory.
“Oh, I love the cavalry battle. But first-years don’t have it. Please do your best for my sake too, President,”
“I’m not good at fighting, so don’t expect much,”
In all honesty, Saito also desired to partake in the cavalry battle.
However, since first-year students were prohibited from joining the third-year events, he wholeheartedly cheered Takumi on.
Yet, Takumi turned away with a sour expression,
seemingly displeased with the cavalry battle.
“It’s okay,” Saito reassured him. “From what I saw earlier, I know you’re not good at sports. Just take it easy.”
Takumi appeared puzzled, unable to comprehend
Saito’s blend of considerate and blunt words.
“I’m a rude guy, My childhood friend often says I lack delicacy.”
Saito declared himself as such without hesitation.
It was due to his childhood friend’s constant reminders that Saito possessed even the minimal sense of propriety.
Otherwise, he would likely have walked into Takumi’s rejection aura without realizing it and stepped on a landmine.
Since it was so easy to imagine that, so Saito couldn’t pretend to have delicacy, even as a lie.
“You’re a strange guy,” Takumi remarked.
“People say that a lot too,”
Even so, it was rare for someone to acknowledge it so openly.
To Takumi, who grew up in a world where people often tried to present themselves well,
Saito must have seemed like an exotic creature. He gave a wry smile, looking a bit envious, and Saito laughed it off.
“Oh, the water’s out,”
Saito said as the water in the watering can ran out.
He was about to turn to refill the water
when Takumi grabbed his shoulder.
“What’s up?” Saito asked.
“It seems we’re done for today,”
Takumi suddenly declared it over.
Confused, Saito tilted his head, and Takumi showed him his phone.
“Oh!”
Saito exclaimed as he saw that it showed 1:10, meaning lunch break would end in five minutes.
Saito started wondering why it was so late, but when he thought about it, it was natural that it would be about this late after eating lunch, playing tag, and watering the plants.
Just as he realized that, Takumi took the watering can back as if to return the favor.
“Thanks for your help today. I’ll finish the rest after school, so you can go back now. Just go straight down that path to get back to the first and second-year building,”
Next, while offering words of appreciation, he made sure his juniors got home safely, acting exactly like a capable student council president.
It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had been trembling with embarrassment after messing up the water amount.
This gap made Saito’s evaluation of him skyrocket.
“Thanks. Good job, President. I’ll come help again when I have free time!”
“Don’t bother!”
“Haha, no way.”
Saito felt like he wanted to help again.
With that thought in mind, he forced a promise to help again and hurried back to the school building.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“This is the worst.”
“Lily, don’t worry.”
“I-I think it’s cute.”
Time passed a bit, and it was the ten-minute break after fifth period.
Surrounded by her friends, Lily was holding her head in her hands.
The reason was the incident during lunch break.
From Saito and Kai’s reactions, she knew they had taken some kind of photo of her.
However, by the time Saito returned to the classroom during lunch, the photo had already been deleted, so she couldn’t see it.
She should have just given up and accepted it, but she couldn’t help but be curious about what kind of photo it was.
So, Lily asked (threatened) Kai to tell her.
“What kind of photo was it?”
With her best sinister smile.
With that, Kai had no choice but to tell her.
And as a result,
she found out she had an embarrassing habit and exploded in embarrassment.
Of course.
Her childhood friend, who she liked, knew part of her feelings.
Moreover, she thought she had been hiding it well until then, so the damage was significant.
This outcome was inevitable.
“That’s why I told you. It’s better not to know.”
Saito joined them with a resigned look, piling on to Lily’s misery.
“…But, if you hide it that much, of course I’d be curious.”
Indeed, he was right.
It might have been happier not knowing if it led to this.
But, with it being hidden so excessively, it was natural to be curious.
“For you, I’ll offer these words: ‘Curiosity killed the…um, what was it? I forgot. Kanzaki, do you know?”
“Haa, ‘Curiosity killed the cat.’ It’s a very famous proverb. How could you forget it, you idiot?”
“Pfft!”
“Hahaha, Saito, you’re always so forgetful.”
“Shut up. I just forgot suddenly, can’t help it.”
As Saito’s proverb suggested, it was ultimately Lily’s own fault.
She had no choice but to accept this shame.
However, thanks to her foolish childhood friend also embarrassing himself, it made things a bit better.
The conversation completely shifted to Saito’s silly talk, and by the time Lily had somewhat recovered,
there was a knock on the classroom door.
Turning to look, the door opened to reveal a beautiful girl with long black hair.
“Excuse me. Is Haruki here?”
Her name was Shirayuri Koyuki.
She was the only daughter of the Shirayuri Group, which managed a transportation company, and the vice president of Seira High School’s student council, where Lily and her friends attended.
Her every action was full of elegance, and her strong sense of justice and fearlessness towards anyone made her the epitome of a Yamato Nadeshiko. She was popular among both male and female students, and had reportedly been confessed to over a hundred times.
However, she had turned down every single one of them, leading to rumors that she might prefer women.
But that rumor had been debunked recently.
“Oh, Koyuki-senpai. What brings you here?”
“Haruki, I have something to talk about. Do you have a moment now?”
“As long as it ends during the break, I don’t mind.”
“Then it’s fine. It won’t take more than two or three minutes. Shall we go?”
“Whoa! Don’t hug me all of a sudden, Senpai.”
“No way. If I don’t do this, I can’t absorb my Haruki content.”
Koyuki was in love with a boy named Nishizono Haruki, who was in the same class as Lily.
Not just in love, but head over heels.
The once demure Koyuki, who cared about others’ opinions, now hugged Haruki and invited him on dates whenever she found him, regardless of the situation.
The trigger was when Haruki helped Koyuki, who was working alone in the library, and saved her from being crushed by a falling bookshelf.
In a manga, it would be a classic scenario, but in real life, it’s rare.
It’s no wonder she fell for him.
(Senpai is the same as always. But I used to be like that too…oh, it’s embarrassing.)
Seeing her, Lily couldn’t help but recall her past self.
The embarrassment she thought had subsided flared up again.
“Ugh…”
“What’s wrong, Lily? …Do you have a fever? Should we go to the nurse’s office?”
Seeing Lily groaning, her nearby friend Shuri worriedly asked in a small voice, but it was a complete misunderstanding.
“I’m fine. It’s just an old wound acting up.”
“Haha, what’s that? Well, as long as you’re okay.”
Feeling guilty, Lily raised her head and gave a vague explanation, making Shuri laugh heartily.
“Recharge complete.”
“That took a while. The break’s almost over.”
“Oh, that’s not good. I need to hurry and talk.”
While they were talking, Koyuki and Haruki finished their affectionate exchange and started moving.
They passed by Lily and the others to leave the classroom.
As they did, Koyuki’s eyes met Lily’s,
showing a wary look.
(Why is she wary?)
Though it made sense in their first life when they liked the same guy, there was no reason for such a look in their second life.
Thinking about it, Lily realized the only possible reason.
The rumor from a few days ago.
The rumor said that Haruki had saved Lily from being attacked.
Every beautiful girl saved by Haruki had invariably fallen for him.
So, Koyuki was likely worried about a new rival.
(Even though I wouldn’t fall for a guy like that anymore, Senpai is so paranoid.)
Lily tried to convey that Koyuki’s worry was unfounded, but Koyuki was already looking at Haruki. To make matters worse, Haruki’s eyes were fixed on Lily.
The sound of teeth grinding reached her ears.
“If we don’t hurry, the break will end. Let’s go.”
“Y-Yes! Understood.”
(This is the worst.)
With a visibly worsened mood, Koyuki quickly left the classroom with Haruki.
Unable to clear the misunderstanding, Lily let out a small sigh.
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